Thursday, July 23, 2009

California Drivers, Behold!!!

Ok, I know this is gonna sound weird, but this is for me a huge accomplishment. Probably the greatest one in a very long time.

I am about to turn 28 and I just passed today on my driving test and got my very first driver's license. Ever. And yes, I live in California, to be more precise, Orange County.How I was able to survive these past 2 and a half years in Orange County without a car, only I know.

Back in Brazil, or even in Portugal, either someone in my family or my friends would drive me around all the time. Worst case scenario, there was always public transportation, or taxi cabs in emergencies such as leaving a shopping center carrying lots of shopping bags.Here in Orange County... I have no family, the few friends I have don't really live close by and as for public transportation... well, the closest bus stop to the house where I used to live was about 1 hour walking from home. And there was maybe 1 bus per hour with a very short and strange route. If you wanna take a cab from a shopping center or a mall, there are none outside. You have to have a number and get a real physical address so they will pick you up within the following 30 minutes.

Boyfriend and I bought an older Toyota Corolla 1 week after we got here, but even so, he had to drive me around everywhere... I hated waking him up to take me to work. Now I can just leave and let him sleep in. We'll have to juggle with one car only though, hopefully until the end of the year we'll have bought our second car.

The big deal here is that up until the beginning of this year, I was terrified of driving. When boyfriend or my sister were driving, I'd sit in the passenger's seat and be a good co-pilot (at least I think so), and I can see everything around... but when I sat in the driver's seat... I just blocked. I could see nothing, I had no perspective. The car was such a huge intimidating monster.

Boyfriend started taking me out to drive in Brazil, but I only felt comfortable after a few weeks driving here.I'm pretty confident driving now, considering my fear before... but it truly is a big relief to finally get a driver's license!

I'll probably write a post later about the exams, since they were very marking experiences. Await...

I'm so behind reading your posts!!! grr...funny, I think the first time I was on your blog, I've read the post about you taking the test, and then you told me you failed it... hahaha! So now I'm extra happy!

hey hun!how's it going?i'm not getting your updates in google reader, this is so weird. just thought i'd let u know.congrats on your license :)i still haven't got mine yet. i must be the only one among my friends who hasn't but to be honest i'm not very motivated to get it, i feel important getting ppl to drive me around haha, kidding..anyway, have a nice weekend*hugs*

@Toothfairy: i remember!!! it really was the first time u visited me, i was b*tching about becky, my nasty examiner. i already had a car, just needed the license... lol. but i'm thinking of getting a second car before christmas!!!

@Manju: i haven't been updating much anyways, i'll try to be better this week :)i used to think like u before too, i could get rides, it was ok... but after moving to california... it's a matter of life and death to have a license!!!!!! hehehe

@Erica: lol, i don't think i'll mind giving rides... i've taken soooooooo many in the past years, i owe that to the world LOL. actually i already have scheduled 2 rides to the airport for grandma and some friends ;)

@Mik: ugh, i know UK is pretty good with public transportation, but i don't know how seattle is... but believe me, when i came here my cousin told me to get my driver's license and i said "i've lived 25 years of my life without one, i think i can manage"... NOT! Orange County is very bad regarding pt...

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